The Catalyst
by Miss Hanamura
Summary: Comfort can be found in unexpected places. — Yosuke/Naoto, one-sided Yu/Naoto.


A/N: Oi, this was just a little something to get my mind off things. Exams are right around the corner, and I'm feeling a bit stressed (not sure I'll even have the time to update other stories right now, but I'll do my best). Plus, I noticed that some Yosuke/Naoto fans added me, so I thought I'd treat them to this~

Right, this was also inspired by yet _another_ rp with SuperNova23, who resumed the role of Naoto this time around. Hope you don't mind I keep doing this, but this is what happens when you leave me alone in front of our skype chats...

* * *

_1, 2, 3..._ He counts the number of steps he takes, breaths he inhales, beats his hearts makes, before slowing down; the MP3 player dangling around his neck shuts off, and the world stills once again. The case has left him on edge, stressed out (but isn't everyone?), so he needed an escape. It started with riding his bike around town (it doesn't take him very long since it's so small), and then he started jogging when one of the tires blew out. Figured he could use the exercise, anyway. Not to melt pounds, or anything, just to build some muscle. Running (or maybe doing something physical in general—like fighting in the TV, for example) helped him clear his head—there's so much going on, that sometimes he wants silence, wants a way to fight off the sound (of his own thoughts).

Yosuke's been thinking a lot lately.

About a girl.

It's only when he's past the Samegawa river does he hear the soft voice of someone familiar. He turns his head, and spots a head of blue hair, squints his eyes to hopefully bring the image into better focus (he still can't believe it), "Hmm? Naoto?" It was so weird to see her outside her uniform, in a blue coat, and pants. He realizes the only time he has was the day she was skipping school, and when they faced her Shadow (a shiver runs down his spine at the memory).

Said girl looks up, blinks at him once, twice (he must've been the last person she wanted to see), before looking back towards the water. Amid the refinement of her day-to-day attire, her voice carries tears, and heartbreak, "Oh, Senpai... What brings you here?"

"Uh, I think that's supposed to be my line..." He drops down beside Naoto, shooting her what he hopes is an apologetic look, but it seems to go over her head (really, he hadn't expected anything less). His brown eyes scrutinize her grey, taking in every detail. Fresh tears leave tracks down her cheeks, "Have you been... _Crying_?" He didn't get it, she always came out so... Well,_ composed_. What could have brought her down?

"No!" She replies automatically, reaching up to cover the evidence, but she's seconds too late—Yosuke's faster. He swats her hands away, and tilts her face back, frowning a little. Being this close, she can smell whatever Junes-brand of cologne he uses, see every feature on his face. Even without eyes, she could tell he was beautiful; why hadn't she noticed before? His chiseled jawline, those long eyelashes...

"Alright, what happened?"

Naoto's back suddenly straightens, and she sits upright with conventional poise—breathes slowly, carefully, _deliberately_ as she wrings her hands together. Any thought she had is thrown out the window. Yosuke waits with patient eyes for her answer, "Well... Earlier today, when I was going to give Yu-senpai a love letter... I saw him with..." She can't finish the sentence. Her face crumbles, and her voice cracks, and she's crying into her hands again.

Falling in love with him had been an accident, a mistake she wishes she could take back, now that she thinks about—Yu Narukami was everything she wanted, and could never have; somewhere in their line of friendship, she found out she wanted more. But she couldn't compete with the other girls, the prettier girls on the team. Who was she next to them?

He stares at her in disbelief, "Wait, _another_?!" Tries to remember who he was with, and knows Yukiko was working today (so it had to of been someone else). Realizes that that's probably the wrong thing to say (he should really think things through), and shakes his head, awkwardly places his hand on the small of her back. Her head snaps up to look at him.

"Another? You mean... He... He's done this before? I feel like even more of a fool..." She starts to cry harder.

_Shit._ That's not what he was going for...

He flinches, "H-Hey, I didn't mean—! Look, I'm..." Shifts, and makes a movement, as if to reach up to wipe her tears away (like he's done this before—a million times when he falls asleep), but settles with running a hand through his hair instead. She resists the urge to frown (her heartbeat quickens, before falling again; her breathing returns to normal). The tension between them makes her heart ache, but she isn't sure why. Why does she feel the sudden need to cry in his chest, listen to reassuring beats? They weren't close; they weren't even _friends_—they were merely two people striving for a similar cause. He could walk away now if he wanted, but something was telling him to stay. Get closer.

Yosuke breathes a sigh, "Geez, I'm no good at this..." He should've kept jogging, avoided this thing entirely. It wasn't like he was _awful_ at comforting people, per say—he just had a way of sticking his foot in his mouth, and causing more harm than good. Right now was no exception. "Naoto? C'mon, look at me."

She hiccups, and chokes back a sob before looking at him through bleary eyes. His stomach drops, and he swallows. She looked terrible.

He fidgets uncomfortably, tries focusing on her face, but he can't look at her (crying girls made him uncomfortable), so he settles with looking down at his shoes. He nervously coils his headphone cord between his fingers, as he speaks, "...I know how you feel, believe me I—I've been in an one-sided relationship before..." He smiles wryly, thinking back on a girl with brown curls, and a honeyed smile, a clean scent that knew all the right words to say (did Naoto even know Saki?). In many ways, she reminded him of his partner. "But sometimes you just gotta get over it." He shrugs.

It was hypocritical for him to be saying that (after all, a part of him still chased after her in his dreams), but at least Naoto seemed to calm down some. She wipes her eyes over her sleeves, painting teardrops on her shirt.

"B-But I don't know how..." The bluenette admits, voice growing quieter, more resigned, "He was my first love... I did everything I could think of..."

"Forget him!" He snaps (recollects himself when he sees her eyes widen), then begins again, "I mean, you're... Yanno,_ you_." He gestures awkwardly with his hands, and she tilts her head to the side, "I bet you could get anyone you wanted! How's that saying go...? Uhhh, 'there's plenty of fish in the sea,' or something?"

He watches her visibly relax, inhaling and exhaling over and over again, "I suppose... But all the letters I get are from people who don't even know me..."

"Yeah, there is that..." How could he forget? She was the only one who rivaled Yu when it came to that (a fact he's secretly jealous of). Yosuke hums to himself in thought; realization lights up his face, "Hey, I know! Me and you should get together!" He nudges her lightly with his elbow, throws his signature wink at her, "Heh, I bet that'd make him jealous~"

And she tries to smile, taking it another way, "You're quite the comedian, Senpai..."

His own smile falls, "Huh?! So, you're saying..." Okay, sure, he had meant it as a joke (sorta), but she could've let him down a little more gently. There was something special about her (he couldn't put his finger on it, but he knew she wasn't like anyone else). She never laughed at his jokes, but he found she was cute when she was mad, so he teased her on purpose, if only to get under her skin, under her flesh. When he found out she was a girl, he began to notice the little things about her, things he missed the first time. When he looks at her, he sees a bit of himself (way down deep, he saw she wanted someone too; he watched her follow after Yu every day, never knowing until now that it bothered him). When he lies down, he can see them together. Maybe, possibly, _hopefully_.

But, of course, he couldn't tell her that (she was obviously not over him, and he's obviously not her second choice). So, he laughs it off, and pretends he doesn't feel anything. It's something he's become good at.

"Damn, wait to undermine my self-esteem..." Yosuke dramatically falls back in the grass, then looks up at her from underneath his lashes, "But seriously, Naoto, you shouldn't let it get to you. You're cute, you'll find someone~ Who knows, Mr. Right could be closer than you think~" _He could also be right in front of you_, he wants to add, but figures it's not the right time.

Naoto gives him a real smile, and wipes away her tears, "Can you please walk home with me?"

The question takes him back, and he she has to repeat herself before it sinks in, "Me? Uh... Y-Yeah, sure!" He smiles back, and climbs to his feet, offers her his hand, "Ahem. Your chariot awaits, my lady~"

She chuckles softly, "But I thought Chie-senpai was the Chariot~" And takes his hand, leading him to where she lives.

Maybe this was the chance he was looking for.

Or maybe he was fooling himself again.


End file.
